Pesticide & Herbicide Application

Thread: Bid question

I saw that the total package was 5 grand or so and the spraying was 2000 of that. I thought the 5 grand for 3 x was a good price and then saw only 2000 was allocated to the spraying.

I dont want you to base your pricing on me or anybody else for that matter. You seem to know you costs and the job looks to be yours so just base it on your costs and what you are comfortable making. It also depends on the situation as well, see below...

If this was my job to bid, I would not touch it for a 3 app spray for 2000. But that being said, my overheads would give most guys on here a heart attack. I pay more for my shop in a month than some guys pay all year....

To give you an idea, the boat yard took roughly 200 gallons for 5 acres and it took me 8 hours. I got over 2000 for it. $10/gallon or 250 per man hour

We sprayed for a landfill along fence lines, used 50 gallons and it took me and a driver 2 hours and I got $900. (this was a low bid situation) $18/gallon $225/man hour

Had a commercial building (long time customer and we treat 10 acres of turf) ask us to spray 3 acres of parking lot, wide open, no cars. 2 guys for 4 hours with travel, used 150 gallons and I only got $900. $6/gallon $112.50 per man hour (I felt I gave this one away)

__________________"What do you mean we canít get rid of those weeds in time? Then go over there and put some fancy signs with Latin names in front of them."Walt Disney

288,000 sqft. That would take about 288 gallons, about 6 tanks. At one gal per msft.
30 minutes in your dreams--30 minutes per tank--maybe. Are you covering every sqft--or only spraying the weeds? Do you have to walk between each car with a hose?
The lot is paved...right?
Keep in mind the lot could have a major weed problem that is not visible at the moment. If it rains a lot...major weeds could appear. Summer annuals could be huge. And Roundup is not long lasting, nor is it effective on everything. Discuss with them--explain that it is best to use Roundup for the first 50 feet inside the fence and then a soil sterilant for the rest. You need an ATV and a second man to walk between each car spot. For the drives and open areas--you need a boom sprayer. Permagreen would be nice as you can't catch the boom on anything. Use the trim 36 inch wide nozzle for between the cars. Only about 96 gallons needed. You need to use their water.
A helicopter can spray this at about 60 mph...about an acre per minute.

Now get out and spray some Roundup on your car to make sure there is no problem.

A tow behind is not the best for this situation...as tight spaces will be difficult...backing up can be a bit tricky in tight spaces. Can you chain the tank to the ATV? Drive with one, hand and spray with the other? No shade--temps could be hot! White stones cause glare.

Turfhokie, thanks so much for detailing out some of your past jobs. And Riggle, thanks for your input. I was saying it would take 30 minutes for 2 of my guys to do the lawn there, not the spraying. I am sure I would have an entire day wrapped up in the spray job. Also, it is a gravel lot, not pavement or blacktop.

Turfhokie, what kind of chemical did you use? I see people here recommending soil sterilizer but I see the price of that so much more than using glyphosate. I would not use roundup, the price is too much. Like I said, I can buy 2.5 gallons of 41% glyphosate blend for $40. Thats 13cents an ounce, so mixing it extra strength at even 6oz a gallon would only cost me .78cents a gallon.

How do you plan on using the ATV? Maybe I missed this. How long is the hose? Is it a hose reel? That would be ideal. Park. Spray as far as the hose reaches. Move. Spray again. If its just a short hose and wand then you're gonna need a second person to drive while you spray. And I would assume the driver would have to be certified if involved in a pesticide ap.

Whether a truck, or ATV, a hose reel is the only choice IMO. If you drove the ATV carrying the wand and spraying, it is unlikely the spray could reach all the way to the center of the aisle. Especially if there is wind. So that means you would have park and get off at every car??

Like others have mentioned, roundup will not have lasting effect for three aps. That initial ap should have a sterilant. Never used one but makes sense. Then your follow up aps would be far less time and product. That's where your $ will be made.

Remember to check for an available water source.

At just under $700 an ap I think you're in good shape. Rates vary but that would be acceptable for my market. Low but ok. Shouldnt take all day to knock that out. Good luck!

And perhaps you should think about a pre-emergent. Suppose crabgrass comes up--or goosegrass. Will they be satisfied if weeds come up in between treatments? What dates do they want? April, July and September? Try to get an idea of what type of weed is the main problem. Any perennials from last year? Dead skeletons of winter-killed weeds from last year? Crab? Spurge? Goose? Knotweed? Oxalis?Do they expect you to come back if it rains? If the weeds come back or don't die in the first place? Will they make you wash the cars if a mist lands on them?